Improvement in condensers for steam-engines



PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HAR-DESTY, or sHEPH' RDs-vILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONDE NS ERS FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,115, datedSeptember 12, 1876; application filed July 11,1876.

To all whom it may concern: 4

and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved CondensingAttachment to High-Pressure Steam-Carriages, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists of anoveloontrivance of apparatus for use inconnection'with highpressure steam-engines, as an aid to the same bycondensing some of thesteam, the said apparatus being contrived so asnot to increase the back pressure on the engine in case the steam is notall condensed.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my im proved attachment taken onthe line as a; of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail,showing the contrivance for packing the valves.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

. The invention comprises a condensing-cylinder, A, surrounded by aniron casing, B, with a space, 0, between the condenser and easing ofhalf an inch to an inch in every part, except the top. At the top thecasing extends above the condenser far enough to form an air-chest, D.The condenser will be placed in a perpendicular position as near theengine as can bewith convenience.

The condensing-water will be forced in between the casing andcondensing-cylinder at the bottom by a *pump, E, through pipe B, andascend to the air-chest. The top G of the condensing-cylinder isperforated so as to admit the condensing'water in a shower. At thebottom it has a pipe, H, to conduct the water oh". This pipe must befurnished with valves I, enough to let off all the water. These valvesare so arranged as to open upward when there is pressure from within,and to close when the vacuum creates a pressure from without.

J is a pipe, to be attached to the engine to receive the exhaustedsteam.This pipe conveys steam into the condenser; but before reaching thecondenser it has a branch, K, by which a portion of the steam isconducted past the condenser into the heater. This pipe J should beabout three times as large from the engine to the branch as from thebranch to the condenser, thereby conductingabouttwothirds of the steamione-third into it. K The branch has a valve, L, whereitbranches, thatadmits steam through it to the heater.

1 The steam that passes into the condenser.

iwill have a free passage out ofit through a lpipe, M, that passesthrough the air-chest and "gconductsit to the heater. This pipe, at itsconnection with the condensing-cylinder, has a valve, N, which isconcealed in the air-chest, that admits the passage of steam to theheater. With the valve N is connected a small spring, n, to make thesaid valve N lighter than the valve L in the branch pipe K, and thusinsure a current of steamthrough the condenser that will clear it of airon starting the engine, no matter how light the pressure of steam maybe, so that it be above the pressure of the atmosphere. If the valves Nand L were of equal weight with two-thirds of the steam passing throughthe branch pipe K to the heater, all that passed to the condenser A Bmight be condensed before any could pass through the said condenser tothe heater, and might thus allowthe air in the condenser to remainthere. A double-acting force-pump may be attached to the pitman for aconvenient way of furnishing the condenser with water; but any kind offorce-pump that will supply the condenser will do. I prefer that thewater shall be supplied by the engine to which the aid is attached, sothat the flow of water will stop when the engine does; but it mattersnot in what way the pumps are attached, so that a regular and properquantity of water is supplied, and nothing is claimed on the force-pumpalone.

When an engine lets off its exhausted steam, this combination will sendit to the air by two passages, as long as it is above the past thecondenser and:

when they shut down, the outer edge of the doors and the passage whichthey stop form a small groove, 0, at the top. A little stream of wateris sent on the valve, which instantly fills the groove and prevents thepassage of air. The pipe that passes through the air chest has some.small holes, P, to supply the valve with water. The branch valve issupplied by a tube, Q. This tube should leave the casing about one inchabove the top of the condensing-cylinder, and enter the steam-pipe justabove the valve. It should be supplied with a stop-cock, that the watermay be cut ofl'. or the supply regulated.

The way the condenser is arranged, when the engine stops, all the waterabove the condensing-cylinder will soon pass through it, thus cuttingoff the supply of water to the valves. When the engine starts, the waterwill rise in the air-chest uptil the air becomes sufficiently compressedto force the water through as fast as the pump supplies it. This willagain supplythe valves with Water.

It will be seen that this invention suits both the high-pressure andlowpressure engine.

part.

If there is any exhausted steam above the pressure of the atmosphere, itwill exhaust part of it into the air and condensethe remainder. 1f thesteam is below the pressure of the atmosphere, it will exhaust it bycondensation. It gives the engineer no trouble but to see that it is inworking order. He can start or stop or reverse. the engine Withouttouching it. lt will all the time perform its It will not be costly toconstruct, and can be fitted to engines now working as if made with aview to its use. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is l The vertical cylinder A, perforated attop, having springvalve N, and provided with pipe M, in combination withcase B, having pipe connected with force-pump E, and the tubes J K Q,having valve L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ROBERT HARDESTY. Witnesses:

H. MCKINNEY, R. J. MEYLEB.

